Thousands of protesters are slowly leaving the downtown core after a five-hour demonstration by members of Toronto's Tamil community clogged sidewalks and closed busy thoroughfares.
The demonstrators arrived at 1 p.m to protest attacks by the Sri Lankan military on Tamils in that country's bloody civil war.
"We want awareness of the genocide going on in Sri Lanka. It has been systematic genocide for 61 years and we want all Canadians, including non-Tamils, to stop it," said protester Shan Thayaparan, 43, of Toronto.
Police closed Front St. to vehicular traffic in both directions between York and Bay Sts. York is also closed both ways from Front to Wellington St. W.
The streets are expected to be reopened by 7 p.m., said Const. Wendy Drummond.
Protesters waving flags and placards, banging drums and chanting began formed a human chain that ran up Yonge St. to Bloor St., continuing west down Bloor St. to University Ave., where it turned south back toward Front St.
"We want our (Canadian) government to get involved for the people back home. We want our government to talk to the Sri Lankan government," said Sarmi Ponnu, 12, who had travelled from Scarborough with her grandparents to take part in the demonstration.
"Every day we wait, there is more people getting killed," she said.
Kala Pathmanathan, a protester from Markham, said the Canadian government should deliver food and medical assistance to those being affected by the ongoing civil war.
"We must save our people in Sri Lanka. They are eating leaves, they don't have any food," she said.
By 3:30 p.m. some demonstrators were spread along the sidewalks of all four streets, with a heavier concentration in the southern part of the downtown core near Yonge and Dundas Square.
"There are no issues so far. We're communicating well with the event organizers and it's been very peaceful," said Drummond.
An influx of protesters toting Tamil red flags en route to the rally congested some subway stations and trains in the east end, said TTC spokesperson Danny Nicholson. At one station there was a line of about 150 people waiting to get a day pass this afternoon.
An increased number of police officers attended to monitor the protests and divert traffic. Officers from several units, including the public safety division and TAVIS task force were been stationed around the downtown core.
Police advised motorists to expect delays and take alternate routes during the afternoon to avoid being caught in slowed-down traffic.
The demonstrations have been occurring downtown every couple of weeks for the past two months, including some 40,000 people taking to the streets in late January.
Similar events are taking place today around the world.
Greater Toronto is home to 200,000 Tamils, the largest such community outside Sri Lanka, where a 25-year-old civil war and a long history of atrocities on both sides has risen to an even bloodier level in recent months.